


I’m the Avatar?!

by Pearl_The_Swordfighter



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Haikyuu!!
Genre: Airbender Yamaguchi Tadashi, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Angst, Avatar Yachi Hitoka, Character Death, F/M, Firebender Hinata Natsu, Firebender Hinata Shouyou, Fluff, M/M, Waterbender Tsukishima Kei
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl_The_Swordfighter/pseuds/Pearl_The_Swordfighter
Summary: Yachi Hitoka just wants to help people. She eventually does, but not in the way she was expecting.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Yachi Hitoka, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Yachi Hitoka/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 15
Kudos: 20





	1. Making a difference

With her sixteenth birthday nearing, Hitoka threw herself into studying as hard as possible. Her application for RCU (Republic City University) was sitting on her windowsill, positioned so she could easily see it. As she glanced outside the window, she was distracted by a banner which presented the New Avatar Celebration - the date being sixteen years since the death of the previous avatar. She tried to ignore the fact that it was coincidentally the same day as her birthday. It was a slim chance anyway - she was one out of nearly one hundred thousand, and as far as she knew, her parents weren't benders.

Pushing the thought aside, Hitoka turned her focus back to the book she was reading called _The History of Bending_. When she reached the bloodbending chapter, she shuddered as she read about the old innkeeper and her prison under the mountain. Of course, this was all in preparation for the bending studies course she would take at RCU.

As Hitoka was about to turn the page, yet another distraction pulled her out of her reading: a text message indicated by the buzzing of her phone. Sighing, she opened her messages and read the new one:

_Shou - hey r we still on for tonight?_

'Crap!' Hitoka thought, 'that was today?'

Quickly scooping the necessary things into her bag, Hitoka left a note for her mother on the kitchen table and sprinted out of the front door and towards the city centre.

____________________

"That'll be two silvers," said the boy at the counter as he handed the ice creams to Hitoka. She furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Thank you, Yamaguchi-kun, but isn't it four?"

"That's alright, the second one is on the house," he replied, his freckled cheeks turning pink.

"Th-Thank you very much!" Hitoka smiled.

As they left the store, Hitoka caught Shouyou grinning at her and wiggling his eyebrows. 

"Oh stop it, Shouyou!" she snapped, rolling her eyes, hoping he wouldn't see the blush forming on her cheeks.

"Just accept your feelings already, Hitoka!" the orange-haired boy cried, keeping his irritating grin plastered on his face. She ignored him the rest of the way to his apartment.

____________________

Hitoka had been friends with Shouyou for as long as she could remember. They had been there for each other for the happy times (Natsu's birth), the sad times (when Hitoka's cat died) and the difficult times (when Shouyou's dad left, leaving his family with basically nothing). This last event had a huge impact on Shouyou's mother and, unable to cope, she fell into depression and refused to do anything for her children. Because of this, the apartment became a mess and the Hinata siblings struggled to find proper education.

So, Hitoka decided to step in and help the two with their talents. Even though she couldn't bend, she had studied enough to know the basics and could use this knowledge to help the two orange-haired siblings. If not taught correctly, they could hurt themselves, or someone else. On arriving at Shouyou's apartment, Hitoka watched happily as the two young firebenders embraced each other, knowing she would make a difference.


	2. The Path Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitoka and Shouyou are just precious cinnamon rolls who deserve each other's love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late but I wanted to post this.
> 
> No angst (yet)

"Again," she said, encouraging the small redhead.

Natsu took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled, releasing a small flame from her mouth. She jumped and squealed with excitement, causing the flame to quickly extinguish. 

"Aw, I just had it," Natsu pouted, earning a hair ruffle from her older brother.

Hitoka and Shouyou were currently inside the Hinatas' apartment, attempting to teach Natsu to control her breath of fire. The living room was small and contained an old, tattered sofa on which the two teens were currently sitting. There were two bedrooms which didn't contain much more than a place to sleep and some drawers. One was almost always closed unless its occupant needed food or water or the bathroom. Although Hinata tried his best to pick up the slack caused by his mother’s depression, there was only so much he could do. The roof still had a leak, there was plaster peeling off the walls and one of the lights still flickered. Hitoka glanced at the cracked clock on the wall and jumped up suddenly from the sofa. 

“Oh wow, look at the time!” she exclaimed, turning to the shorter redhead, “I think it’s time for bed, Natsu. Good work today,” Hitoka praised, beaming at the younger. It was impressive that she could create a breath of fire at the mere age of eight - and without an actual bender as a teacher. As Natsu was reluctantly getting ready for bed, Hitoka turned her attention to Shouyou, who was glowing with pride.

“You must be proud of her,” she said, startling the firebender.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, she’s come so far since dad left,” he replied, the memory of his father breaking his smile for a split second. He regained his composure quickly. “But it’s all thanks to your lessons, Hitoka! I can’t thank you enough for helping us! I wish I could see you more though…” Hitoka’s cheeks flushed with the compliment, and a little shame.

“Yeah, me too. It’s just, with my-”

“I know, I know, your RCU application,” he said, cutting her off, “I’m happy for you, really. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you and dreams and aspirations,” he continued, his voice faltering a little, “and I’m just going to be stuck in this same old cruddy town for the rest of my life and never-” 

Hitoka abruptly put her hands on the boy’s shoulders to stop his rambling. “Shouyou,” she said, the most confident she had ever been in her life, “look at me.” The boy slowly raised his head to meet her eyes, seeming on the verge of tears, “I know you’re special - both of you are,” she glanced to the bathroom, where Natsu was currently brushing her teeth, “and I also know what it feels like to be backed into a corner. But you will make it out of this, and I’ll be here for you - just say the word and I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and come running.” Hitoka surprised herself with this newfound confidence, but kept a strong front for her friend. Shouyou took a deep breath and Hitoka relaxed her grip on him.

“Thank you, Hitoka. I needed that,” the boy replied, his voice unusually quiet, “I guess I just miss you.”

“I miss you too, Shouyou.” She gave him a soft smile and a warm hug in an attempt to cheer him up, when an idea popped into her head.

“You know what? I’ll come over again tomorrow,” she started, parting from Shouyou’s embrace, “We can go out to town with Natsu and do - um - whatever we want! I’ll do my homework in the morning and meet you straight after school, how does that sound?”

“Yeah, that sounds great!” The boy immediately perked up. “But, wait - I don’t want to keep you from your work or anything, that would make me feel bad.”

“Hey, you could never - you’re my best friend. Besides, I need a break. I think we all do. Plus, tomorrow's a Friday,” Hitoka reassured the redhead.

As Hitoka was leaving the apartment, the younger Hinata popped her head out from the bathroom and looked at the older girl with sad eyes.

“Hitoka-chan, are you leaving?” 

“Yes Natsu, it’s getting late and I have school tomorrow. And so do you, so go to bed now.”

“Please stay,” the young firebender pleaded, sticking out her bottom lip. Hitoka paused and bit her lip, but eventually found herself succumbing to the overwhelming cuteness of the younger girl’s face. She sighed, following Natsu to the bedroom and tucking her into the lower bunk of the Hinata siblings’ bed. Shouyou came in after and knelt beside Hitoka, just on cue for Natsu’s bedtime story or, as she liked to call it, ‘Hitoka storytime!’ This earned a chuckle from the older girl as the younger requested _The Legend of The Blind Bandit_ for tonight’s story. The story dates back to about two hundred years ago and is about a young blind girl who becomes an earthbending master by learning from badgermoles. She then goes on to consistently winning the Earth Rumble Six tournament and ends up leaving her family to join the Avatar and teach him earthbending. Hitoka particularly liked that story as it reminded her that even with obstacles, you can do anything you put your mind to.

As Hitoka was wrapping up her story, she heard the soft breaths of the little redhead, indicating she had fallen asleep. Hitoka leaned over the younger girl and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. She felt that Natsu was as much of a sister to her as she was to Shouyou and felt the need to protect and care for her. Saying a hushed goodbye, Hitoka crept out of the bedroom and headed to the front door, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.

“It’s dark outside, let me walk you home,” Shouyou suggested.

“Are you sure? What about-”

“Natsu will be fine - my mother is home,” he reassured, gesturing to the closed door of the other bedroom. 

Hitoka relaxed and, taking Shouyou’s hand, left the gloomy apartment.

_____________________________

“For God’s sake, Hitoka, it was an accident!” The firebender huffed, clearly not wanting to reminisce possibly the most embarrassing moment of his life.

"But you liked it, didn't you?" Hitoka insisted with a teasing tone. She let out a loud laugh as Shouyou's face turned the colour of his hair. 

On the way to Hitoka's house, the two teens started to talk about the New Avatar Celebration, which was this Sunday. Of course, this would mean finding a date. This led to Shouyou teasing the other about a certain freckled boy who worked at the ice cream shop and Hitoka retaliated by reminding the redhead of a certain blue-eyed earthbender whose lap Shouyou just happened to fall into.

"I don't even know if he likes guys!" Shouyou exclaimed. "Ugh, he's so hard to read!" It was true. He was probably the calmest earthbender Hitoka had ever seen. He would spend his time by the city centre fountain (which 'coincidentally' became Shouyou's favourite place in town) reading or eating sandwiches or drinking milk. You wouldn't even know he was an earthbender unless you stumbled across the same forest where he practiced, which is what Shouyou managed to do on the day of the accident.

"Well, there's only one way to find out."

"What?! No! That's so embarrassing! What if he rejects me? What if he throws a rock at my face? What if-"

"It won't hurt to try, Shou. I'm sure he'll be considerate. And he won't throw a rock at your face - that's against the law." The redhead still didn't seem convinced, so Hitoka decided to say something she would definitely regret later. "Okay, I can't believe I'm saying this, but, if you ask the earthbender to the celebration, then," she took a deep breath before continuing,

"then I will ask Yamaguchi-kun."

___________________

Hitoka was shaking with fear as she stood in front of the door of the ice cream shop. She felt like her heart was going to pop out of her mouth. Of course the redhead would agree to this. He had shipped the two ever since the freckled boy started working at that store. Hitoka would never forget all the elbow nudges and the sideways smirks Shouyou would give her when they left the shop or the massive blush across her cheeks which she so miserably failed to hide. Holding her breath, Hitoka slowly pushed open the door.

___________________

It was a warm Friday afternoon and, as promised, Hitoka had finished her homework and was ready for a day in town with the Hinatas. Unsurprisingly, the younger immediately demanded 'Ice cream! Ice cream!', sending a wave of dread through Hitoka. Shouyou began to tease her before she glared back at him, silently reminding him of the deal, which shut him right up. 

On the way to the city centre, Hitoka took in her surroundings, basking in the light of the pleasant April sun. The cherry blossoms swayed in the light breeze, causing pink petals to dance around the three children. After deciding to apply for Republic City University, Hitoka had basically zero time for anything but studying, so it was nice to be outside for a change and not have to worry about an assignment or an exam or a-

"Hitoka," said the older firebender, stopping her train of thought, "we're here."

Hitoka tried to breathe to calm her nerves, but she was still shaking. She tried to find that confidence she had managed to conjure up the night before, but could feel it slowly dying away. It was now or never. She made her way into the shop, only to trip over her own feet and fall face first into the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited the ending so it is less abrupt, next chapter will be a different POV ;)
> 
> Enjoy the fluff while it lasts
> 
> New chapter tomorrow (hopefully)


	3. A Certain Blonde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yamaguchi is precious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still contains overwhelming amounts of fluff

Yamaguchi Tadashi was an airbender - not a very good airbender, but an airbender nonetheless. He had managed to find himself a teacher with the little money he had saved from working at the shop, but only learnt the basics. His family's financial situation became troubling so he had to use his money to help them out. From then on, Tadashi's life became more about just getting by than actually striving for something.

Then, he met Yachi. 

Tadashi was in the school library one lunchtime, doing his homework, re-reading the same question over and over. His mind kept drifting off and he was losing focus, so he decided to leave it for later and started towards the door. Suddenly, a small blonde girl stumbled inside, clutching a pile of thick textbooks. Tadashi recognised her from his bender studies class as the shy girl at the back of the classroom who usually kept to herself. Intrigued, he watched her as she struggled to carry all those books, debating whether he should go and help her out. He started to make his way towards the blonde, when all at once, her foot slipped and she fell backwards, her textbooks flying out of her hands and landing on the floor around her. Her face immediately turned a deep shade of red as she scrambled to collect the fallen books. Tadashi did not hesitate to rush over to her side. 

“Are you alright? Do you need help?” he asked, a small smile on his face. The girl instantly jumped and stammered:

“Yes! No! Sorry! Thank you!” She was obviously flustered, so she collected her books quickly and ran from the library, leaving Tadashi perplexed (and a little amused).

During the days following the library incident, Tadashi found himself noticing the blonde (her name was Yachi) more and more. Every morning, she would arrive at school early and study. At breaktime, she would study. During lunch, she would sit by herself in the corner with a bento and…study. Her determination to study without end puzzled the Airbender, but over time he became inspired. After finding out that Yachi wasn't a bender and still had her own aspirations, Tadashi vowed to not let his airbending powers go to waste. He began to check out all the airbending books he could find from the library and attempted to teach himself during whatever free time he could find: during his breaks at work, on the school roof and. He then asked his best friend, a skilled waterbender, to duel with him during lunch breaks. The school had a training ground on the field which came in handy for any bender students. Tsukishima Kei was unwilling at first, but eventually agreed and it didn’t take long for him to wipe the floor with Tadashi. Over time, however, the airbender improved, learning new tricks like the air cushion, air funnel and air shield, and soon enough the two were having long, entertaining duels which attracted the attention of some other students. But Tadashi was only focused on one.

About a couple of months after starting his duels with the waterbender, he noticed a certain blonde sitting in the audience, usually alone, scribbling in her notebook. Her face would be scrunched up in concentration, which the airbender thought was kind of cute. Tadashi found his eyes wandering towards her, which would result in a stream of water to his face and a 'concentrate Yamaguchi' followed by a 'sorry Tsukki!' As time went on, Tadashi began to notice the little quirks Yachi exhibited, such as fiddling with the star in her hair and knocking over the nearest object whenever she was nervous, making Tadashi’s heart flutter a little. It wasn’t long until Tsukishima noticed this too and insisted that the airbender should ‘just ask her already!’ He tried, but every time he started to approach her, Tadashi’s stomach would start to churn and he would end up running in the opposite direction. This just intensified when the blonde started buying ice cream at the place where he worked. He wanted to talk to her but she was always with that overly enthusiastic orange-haired boy and his equally enthusiastic orange-haired...sister? (he guessed). Yachi also had a high tendency to knock things over, immediately running away out of embarrassment right after. 

Tadashi already knew of her clumsy nature, so it didn’t surprise him when Yachi had tripped over herself after taking two steps into the shop. The airbender had immediately rushed to her side and smiled internally at the strange feeling of deja vu. Maybe this could be his chance.

______________________________

  
  


“Here, this will help,” he said calmly, handing a wet towel to the still-dazed blonde. She dabbed her left cheek, which was now sporting a fresh red bruise. Her other cheek was still pink in embarrassment. 

"Thank you," Yachi replied sincerely. Currently, the two were seated on the couch in the back room of the shop, treating Yachi's bruise. A few seconds of silence passed between them, so Tadashi decided that now was the right time to ask.

“So, I was wondering-”

“Yamaguchi-kun-” They both started at the same time, immediately stopping to let the other continue.

“Ah, sorry!” Yachi said hurriedly, “You go first!” Tadashi tilted his head in confusion, but proceeded with his question.

“Ah, yes, so, I was just wondering…” he paused, scratching the back of his head. “When you watch us duel, what exactly do you write in that notebook?” The blonde kept a blank expression while processing the question, then her eyes went wide in shock.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I’ve been studying you without permission! Please forgive me!” She cried out and fell into a deep bow, taking the airbender by surprise.

“No, no - it’s fine!” Tadashi waved his hands dismissively to reassure her. “I was just curious, that’s all.” He smiled a little in an attempt to calm her down. She relaxed a bit and continued.

“Oh! Well, actually, um, I like to s-study benders and their, um, movements,” she began to blush slightly, “And I saw you and the waterbender duelling and it was…fascinating." She looked down at the floor and fiddled with the star in her hair, and now it was Tadashi's turn to blush. After a few seconds, the bell of the front door rang, so Yachi abruptly stood up, thanked Tadashi and started to make her way towards the exit, only for the airbender to stop her.

"Wait!" He called out, causing the blonde to halt in her tracks. "You were going to say something?" Yachi turned around, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"Right, I forgot. Are you going to the New Avatar Celebration on Sunday?" She asked, eyes focused anywhere but Tadashi. He had almost forgotten about the upcoming festival.

"I might be. Why do you ask?" He tried his best to ignore the excitement bubbling up in his chest.

"I was thinking that we could, um, go…together?"

Tadashi's heart stopped, but he decided to play it cool.

"Oh, um, yes…that would be nice," he gave her a small smile as they exchanged numbers. Once Yachi left, Tadashi's smile grew and he didn't foresee it disappearing any time soon. 

______________________________

Hitoka remained stiff until the door of the ice cream shop closed behind her. Immediately, she let out a long breath and slumped down onto a nearby bench. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer; she had to tell -

Huh. 

Hitoka scouted the area for her friend, but the energetic firebender was nowhere to be found. A wave of panic came over her and she pulled out her phone to call him, but froze at the state of her lock screen.

_Mum (5 missed calls)_

_Mum - COME HOME NOW_

_Mum - URGENT!_

Without another thought, Hitoka raced home, her mind completely off the redhead. Her mother was usually pretty level-headed and professional about most things, so this had to be important… right? At last, after what seemed like endless running, Hitoka arrived at the front door, panting and coughing from the exertion. (She had really neglected her physical exercise during the last few months.) She prayed that the worst hadn't happened as she slowly pushed open the door and made her way towards the living room.

"Mum?" She called out, "Is everything alri-" Hitoka paused when she saw her mother sitting on the sofa by the coffee table. Her face was pale and her body was stiffer than usual. Across from her, on the armchair the other side of the coffee table, was a man. But not just any man. Unless Hitoka was mistaken, this man, wearing a suit that radiated with power and status, was-

"President Sato" He stuck a hand out to Hitoka, which she automatically shook. "You must be Yachi Hitoka. Please take a seat and I'll explain everything." Still in shock, Hitoka slowly slipped into the seat on the sofa next to her mother as she struggled to process the scene in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by the President.

"I'm sure you have many questions, so I'm just going to tell it to you straight and you can ask any questions later." 

"You, Yachi Hitoka, are the Avatar."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that took long enough  
> (Next chapter may contain angst)


	4. Nice to Meet You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou tries to break through to a socially awkward earthbender.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I couldn't resist some more fluff before the angst starts

"Nii-chan, I'm bored. Where's my ice cream?" Natsu whined, fidgeting in her seat. The two firebenders waited on the bench outside the ice cream shop in the Republic City Centre. The area was always full of busy citizens who were travelling to or from work, grabbing lunch, shopping or just hanging out. The main plaza was lined with stores and cafes and restaurants and was, without a doubt, the busiest place in the city. Its many landmarks and the sheer beauty attracted tourists not just from the United Republic, but from all over the world. Scattered around the middle were the most magnificent cherry blossoms in the City which, due to the time of year, were in full bloom and shedding petals around the plaza. Spring in Republic City was a truly spectacular sight. 

In Shouyou's opinion, however, the one object that stood out most was the Fountain of Avatars. It was built in the honor of Avatar Korra, who had started a new Avatar cycle during her time and, so far, there had been three more after her (and the new water Avatar would be announced this Sunday). The fountain was a large circular pond with cascading streams of water falling from the four statues that stood in the centre, facing outwards. The statues themselves were what attracted most of the tourists. The bronze figures were perfect embodiments of the Avatars of the new cycle, with Avatar Korra facing the North side of the plaza and the rest facing the East, South and West sides.

"Nii-chan, when is Hitoka-chan coming back?" Natsu's patience was starting to wear thin.

"It won't be long now. Here take this," he said quickly, shoving his phone into his sister's hand. The older sibling began to wonder why Hitoka was taking so long. It had only been ten minutes, but Shouyou was becoming restless, which was made evident by the leg bouncing and the constant glances at the door of the shop. Another few minutes passed and there wasn’t any sign of the blonde, so Shouyou decided to send her a text. However, before he could begin to wrestle his phone out of Natsu's hands, a tall figure with black hair entered his peripheral vision. Automatically, the orange-haired boy raised his head and looked in the figure's direction. The earthbender was leaving the café on the opposite side of the plaza to where Shouyou was sitting, holding a carton of milk in one hand and a book in the other, making his way to the fountain. The firebender decided to seize the opportunity while he could and, shaking, made a brave decision.

"Hey Natsu, can you stay here for a bit? I need to go do something real quick." Natsu hummed in agreement without looking up from the phone and Shouyou slowly rose from the bench, eyes fixed on the earthbender. He moved towards the fountain, trying to appear calm and collected despite the pounding in his chest. He couldn't stop staring at the earthbender, whose blue eyes were fixated on the book and nothing else, not even the excitement of the tourists snapping pictures of the fountain. He sat on a bench facing the fountain with a cherry blossom tree on the right side of the bench. Petals were falling all around him (and one into his dark hair) like pink snow. Shouyou thought it was like a scene from a romance movie. 

Bringing himself back to reality, Shouyou planned what he would say once he reached the earthbender. 'Hi! I'm Hinata Shouyou! Nice to meet you!'  _ No, that was too forward _ . 'So…nice weather we're having'  _ Ugh, that's stupid. Maybe- _

"Are you okay?" A deep voice cut off the firebender's internal monologue. He froze. Blue eyes stared into his soul and Shouyou found himself rooted to the spot. It took a few seconds for him to regain the ability to speak.

"I-, um-, yes-, I'm Hinata Shouyou! Nice to meet you!" The redhead blurted out the words faster than he could realise how ridiculous he sounded. The earthbender looked back at him with a blank expression on his face and Shouyou wished he could just curl up into a ball and die. However, the earthbender simply raised an eyebrow and replied:

"Kageyama Tobio." That was it. That was all he said before turning his attention back to the open book in his hands. However, after noticing that Shouyou was still standing in front of him, he closed his book and sighed.

"Did you want something?" His voice carried a sense of irritation, but also a little confusion, and he waited expectantly for the firebender to answer.

"I was wondering, um..." Shouyou looked around for something that could save his flustered self, until his eyes rested on the cover of the book on the earthbender's lap, "what you were...reading." Shouyou tensed, hoping he hadn’t made a terrible first (well - second, actually) impression. Fortunately, the earthbender's -  _ Kageyama's _ \- face lit up, clearly passionate about his love of reading.

"Ah, it's called  _ The Boy in the Iceberg.  _ It's really old though, so not many people like it." His face fell slightly and Shouyou could feel him retreating back to his antisocial bubble, so he blurted out, without thinking:

"Actually, it's my favourite!" So that was a lie. Shouyou hated reading books (unless they had pictures), but the words were out faster than the firebender had realised and he hoped to the Spirits that Kageyama wouldn't quiz him on it. 

"Really?" He replied hopefully. The enthusiastic look on his face was a look that Shouyou didn't want disappearing, so he slid into the seat beside Kageyama as smoothly as he could and continued.

"Yeah, of course! It's a great story. I've read it multiple times." He forced a wide grin, which sent the earthbender into a long ramble about how well written the book was and how all the characters worked so well together and the fact that it was a  _ true story. _ Shouyou only heard bits and pieces, zoning out every so often and nodding his head when Kageyama paused for breath.

"...and I can't believe the kids who saved the world were basically our age. And it was incredible how Toph held up an entire library  _ by herself _ ." Hearing the name turned on a switch in the firebender's brain, remembering it from one of the stories from 'Hitoka storytime'.

"The Blind Bandit? Yeah, she is incredible. And an earthbender, just like you!"

"I know! She invented metalbending at the age of twelve. Twelve! And here I am at fifteen barely able to bend even a single…" the earthbender trailed off, then he narrowed his eyes at the redhead, becoming more cautious of the stranger in front of him. 

"How did you know I was an earthbender?" His voice suddenly turned from lively to cold and wary. Shouyou was confused (and a little scared). Did he seriously not remember the incident that day in the forest? The firebender's cheeks blushed red as he replayed the events in his head, and decided he had to come clean.

"Well, I-" 

"Have you been stalking me?" Kageyama gasped, cutting him off. Shouyou was taken aback, eyes wide with shock. He then shook his head and started to stammer, trying to explain the truth.

"No! Of course not! Well, not really-" The earthbender abruptly jumped from the bench, like he had just been burnt.

"I knew it! I can't believe you! I'm such an idiot! Of course no one else likes that book." The betrayed expression on his face caused Shouyou's heart to break a little. "I'm leaving. Don't follow me again, or I'll throw a rock at your face." With a final threatening glare, he turned and walked away, leaving Shouyou stunned as he struggled to process the earthbender's final words. Kageyama was slipping away from him and he had to do something.

"Wait! Just let me explain!" He shouted slightly too loud, attracting curious glances from the surrounding people, but succeeded in stopping the earthbender in his tracks. He turned back to Shouyou slowly, arms crossed.

"Fine," he huffed, "explain."

"You really don't remember, huh?" Kageyama tilted his head in confusion, but allowed the firebender to continue. "A couple of weeks ago, in the forest, I accidentally ran into you. You were practising earthbending at the time so I just ran off without apologising. Sorry." He looked down at the floor, waiting for a response. It took a couple of seconds, but suddenly, it hit Kageyama like a tidal wave; eyes widening, he gasped in realisation.

"Oh. That's why you looked so familiar." His tense shoulders relaxed and he sighed in relief. "I thought you were a Northern Water Tribe spy."

"What? Why would I be a-" the redhead stopped himself short and shook his head. "No, I'm a firebender! Look!" He twisted his right hand, causing a small flame to appear. Kageyama stared at it, his mouth open in awe. Shouyou looked up and saw the orange flame reflected in the earthbender's blue eyes, losing himself in their beauty. However, after receiving some wary glances from onlookers, Shouyou quickly extinguished the flame. Kageyama, still perplexed, simply stared at the smoke rising from the firebender's hand and waited for him to speak.

"Let's try this again," he sighed, and put on a wide smile that shone brighter than a hundred suns.

"I'm Hinata Shouyou. Nice to meet you."


	5. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yachi struggles to accept her new reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No idea why this took so long.  
> Yachi suffers.  
> Angst.

_ You, Yachi Hitoka, are the Avatar. _

_ You are the Avatar. _

The words echoed in her head, and she was convinced it was a dream.

"How?" Hitoka spoke softly, breaking the silence, her voice no louder than a whisper. Her eyes darted back and forth between her pale-faced mother and the literal  _ president,  _ pushing for some kind of explanation. Neither knew how to reply, so Hitoka turned to president Sato and continued. "I'm sorry, Sir, but there must be some kind of mistake. I've never-"

"I assure you, Yachi-san," he interrupted, "there is no mistake. We have triple checked the DNA tests and the previous Avatar's time of death matches your time of birth exactly." He spoke professionally and calmly, as if he was reading out a weather forecast and not telling someone that their whole life has been a lie. "Without a doubt, you are the second Water Avatar of the new cycle. One or both of your parents are waterbenders." Hitoka refused to believe what was being said and turned to her mother in shock. 

"Wait, so you lied to me about yourself? Or did you lie to me about-" Hitoka gasped and widened her eyes as the realisation dawned on her.

"Later, Hitoka," her mother spoke through gritted teeth, eyes still fixed on the coffee table. Hitoka clenched her jaw in an attempt to hold back the seething rage and betrayal she felt. Sato seemed to ignore this tension between the mother and daughter, and nonchalantly continued.

"As you know, the New Avatar Celebration is in two days and it is a tradition for the New Avatar to deliver a short speech on how they are going to make the world a better place. Don't fret about it too much; it's usually only about two minutes long, but it gives the people hope. You will make the speech at noon and then we will discuss your training regime for the coming weeks. That is all, for now. I have a meeting to attend to so I will leave you with this information booklet so that you are prepared on the day." The man pulled out a thin book from his inside pocket and put it onto the coffee table. He then bid Hitoka farewell, leaving the cogs in her brain still spinning rapidly, as her mother went to let him out. 

The door slammed shut and Hitoka heard her mother sigh in relief. 

"Well that was unexpected," she called out from the hallway a little too cheerfully, possibly attempting to lighten the mood or change the subject. It didn't work.

"You...you lied to me." She hissed, voice barely a whisper but still enough to fill the silent hallway.

Hitoka was the kind of person who preferred to avoid confrontation, who got nervous easily and stumbled over her words, who was never one hundred percent sure about anything she said or did. She rarely got angry at anyone but herself, thinking everything bad that happened was her fault. And a feeling that she could hardly fathom was hate. Perhaps irritation, disappointment, and a general dislike towards some individuals, but never hate. Hitoka had never hated anyone but herself. In that moment, however, stood in the hallway facing her mother, Hitoka was one hundred percent sure that that wasn't true anymore.

She glared fiercely at the woman in front of her, causing her expression of false obliviousness to morph into an expression of guilt and fear. 

"Please, Hitoka, let me just explain and we can-"

"We can what?! Pretend that I didn't spend my entire life working my ass off for _nothing_? That my whole identity is a _lie_? And the fact that you never told me that I'm a…" She trailed off, voice breaking into sobs. Her mother brought a hand to touch her face, muttering something about the purple bruise on the blonde's damp cheek. Hitoka immediately slapped it away on instinct, surprising the both of them.

"I can't." Clutching her bag strap, she pushed past her mother and bolted towards the front door, vision blurred by the tears pricking her eyes. She still didn't believe it. How? Why? Her mind was overflowing with questions and she wanted answers, but she couldn't -  _ wouldn't  _ \- listen to her mother anymore. Not after she had lied to her own daughter for her entire life. So, before leaving, she stood in the frame of the door and gave her mother one final look.

"I can't trust anything you say anymore."

_____________________

_ Shou (2 missed calls) _

_ Shou (3 new messages) _

Hitoka cursed herself. In all the chaos, she had forgotten all about her best friend. She hurriedly opened the messages and prayed that the Hinata siblings were alright.

16:35 - _ Hey ur not picking up. Is everything ok in there? _

16:41 -  _ Sorry I have to go home. My mum said she's not feeling well. _

16:53 -  _ Hey I'm home. Pls just let me know if ur ok. _

She checked the current time - 17:47, concluding that she should probably call Shouyou as quick as she could, but still felt the lump in her throat from the remnants of her sobs and didn't want to reveal her emotional state to the firebender. So she took some deep breaths to calm herself, pressed the call button and held the phone up to her ear.

_ "Hitoka? Are you okay?" _ The voice was filled with concern and Hitoka felt herself relax. She wanted to tell him everything, but how? It was only yesterday that she had promised him that she would never leave his side, and now…

_ "Hello?" _ The voice spoke again, more worried this time, pulling Hitoka out of her thoughts. 

"I-I'm fine," she croaked out, grimacing at the hoarseness of her voice. There was an audible sigh of relief on the other end of the phone, but on hearing the tone of her reply, the firebender's voice became apprehensive.

_ "Are you sure? You sound upset. Did it not go well today?"  _

"I...It's nothing, I'll explain later," Hitoka replied quickly, desperately finding something to change the subject. "Can I come 'round? We can catch up on what happened today." Shouyou seemed to perk up at the request.

_ "Oh yes, of course! See you soon!" _

Hitoka passed by numerous houses on the way to Shouyou's house as the sun slowly began to dip down below the horizon and flood the sky with tie-dyes of pink and orange. Sparrowkeets soared over her head in a perfect arrowhead formation, without a care in the world. 

'How nice,' Hitoka thought, sighing. Flying had always been an appealing skill to her, and she particularly liked studying how airbenders used gliders and manipulated the wind to soar freely, just like the sparrowkeets. The realisation that she would probably have to do it one day shocked her, and she frantically pushed away the thought. For the rest of the journey, her mind focused on enjoying the beauty of the city in the setting sun.

______________________

"...And then, he invited me to come over!" Shouyou beamed with excitement as he retold the events of his... _ eventful _ ...chat with the earthbender (his name was Kageyama).

Hitoka, Shouyou and Natsu sat around the kitchen table, eating fire noodles for dinner. While the two redheads slurped down their portions greedily, Hitoka prodded at the noodles with her chopsticks. She had lost her appetite and her stomach churned, but she forced herself to finish the bowl, remembering the importance of not wasting food - a lesson she had been told by... _her_ _mother._ Hitoka was convinced she had gone mad, because the mere act of thinking about the woman caused her mood to plummet. But she didn't let it show on her face and instead listened to Shouyou's rather amusing story of his meeting with Kageyama, who, based on the firebender's description, seemed like an _interesting_ character.

Promptly after dinner, Natsu decided to go to bed early, still grumbling over her lack of ice cream.

"Speaking of ice cream," Shouyou started while clearing the dishes from the table, "How'd it go with ice cream boy?"

"His name is Yamaguchi. And he said yes." Crap. She hadn't texted the airbender yet.

"That's great!" Shouyou exclaimed, beaming. "We can all go together on New Avatar Day! I can't wait for you to meet Kageyama." Hitoka's face fell slightly at the mention of the celebration, which didn't go unnoticed by the firebender.

"Hey,” the blonde tilted her head up to see golden eyes stare into her own. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

But that was the thing. Hitoka told the firebender all her secrets, her thoughts, feelings, where she was going, even what she had for breakfast. But she couldn’t tell him about this. Shouyou, however, pressed on, determined to find out what was bothering his best friend.

“It’s like you said, Hitoka, I'll come running if you need me. We can always be there for each other." 

Shouyou's warmth and compassion brought tears to the blonde's eyes. Everything would change after Sunday. Hitoka still couldn't comprehend the fact that she was-

"Woah, what happened?! Did I say something wrong?" The redhead worried.

"No, no," Hitoka reassured, wiping her tears. "I just...had a fight with my mum - a really bad one." She closed her eyes and a second later, found herself in the arms of the firebender. 

"It's going to be okay. Do you want to stay here tonight?"

She nodded slowly and gave her best friend a sad smile. In her mind, however, she thought that nothing would ever be okay again.

__________________________

The next morning, Hitoka was standing at the front door of her house, ready to hear the truth. Somehow, Shouyou had managed to convince her to make things right with her mother, despite not even knowing what the argument was about. Carefully, making as little noise as possible, she turned the key and slowly pushed open the door. She entered the house and closed the door behind her as quietly as she could.

"You're back."

The words resonated in the hallway of the Yachi household, voice softer than Hitoka had ever heard. The blonde, still facing the door, tried to keep her composure as she turned to face her mother.

"I want to know," Hitoka demanded, looking into her mother's eyes, "I want to know everything."

"Yes. Of course." She started towards the dining room and gestured for Hitoka to follow her. When the blonde had settled at the dining table, her mother brought out two cups of tea. Hitoka accepted it, but just stared at the drink as the liquid swirled around in the cup.

"I wasn't much older than you at the time," the older woman began as she slid into the seat opposite her daughter. Hitoka, pulled out of her trance, snapped her head up, but allowed her mother to continue.

"There was a party - the biggest of the year - celebrating a new leader. I had too much to drink and met a charming guy and the next thing I remember is waking up in his bed in the morning with a throbbing headache. I didn't know what to do so I just ran home. A few weeks later, I started getting sick in the mornings and found out that I was pregnant. With you.

"I tried so hard to find your father, but I didn't even know his name, let alone the fact that he was a waterbender. Then, after about two months, the new leader became corrupt and wanted war on other nations. It wasn't safe anymore, so I fled and took refuge in Republic City." 

Hitoka furrowed her brows in confusion. "Wait...you fled  _ to  _ Republic City? From where?"

The older woman took a second before answering, like she was bracing for a violent reaction.

"Hitoka, your father and I are from the Northern Water Tribe."

"... _ what?"  _ She was quiet, but firm.

"I said-"

"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID!" she shouted, jumping from the table and causing her mother to flinch. The cup of tea in front of her began to rattle, but Hitoka didn't seem to notice. "Were you just going to hide this from me, for the rest of my life?" Her tone was accusatory and the older woman opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. 

"Is...Is he alive?" Hitoka whispered. Her mother pressed her lips together, like she didn't want to answer.

Hitoka tried again, more forcefully. " _ Is. He. Alive?"  _

"I…don't know." 

Hitoka decided that she couldn't take any more and headed straight upstairs, shutting herself in her room. Her mother didn't attempt to follow her.

________________

As the day dragged on, Hitoka refused to come out of her room, even for lunch; the anger had overcome her hunger. She simply spent the day trying to comprehend her situation, but the more she thought about it, the more bizarre and overwhelming it seemed. She needed a distraction. Scrolling through her phone wasn’t helpful, only reminding her of the kind airbender and that she should probably explain the situation. But what in the world would she even say? A text saying, ‘Hey, just found out that I’m the Avatar so we can’t hang out tomorrow or probably ever. Have a nice day!’ just seemed odd. So, she put the task aside, realising that that was the first time she had ever procrastinated on something. She then tried to distract herself by re-reading  _ The History of Bending.  _ It worked for a couple of hours...until she reached the chapter on Avatars, which caused her to promptly shut the book and toss it aside. 

Nothing worked. Hitoka buried her face in her hands and was close to tearing her hair out. Life was unfair. Her mother had hidden a huge part of her identity from her and now she didn't even know who she was anymore. She was angry. She was upset. She felt betrayed. But…was it really fair to blame everything on her mother? She was just a teenager at the time, and teenagers make a lot of mistakes (Hitoka knew this from personal experience). Hitoka's mother's mistake just happened to have a bigger impact, unfortunately. Life was unfair.

Night fell soon and, after extensive thought, Hitoka made a decision: she couldn't forgive her mother yet, but she would still try. She then internally cringed as she remembered slapping the other woman's hand the night before, and realised she should probably apologise for that. 

While running down the stairs, Hitoka called out to her mother, "Mum? I'm sorry I-" 

She stopped short halfway down the staircase when she observed the other woman wearing a coat and clutching a large handbag, about to head out of the door. 

"Mum?" She said, slightly louder this time, "Where are you going?" 

The older woman stopped and turned to her daughter, pulling the coat-hood off her light brown hair.

"I'm going to find out who your father is."

Hitoka was taken aback. "Huh? Why? How-"

Her mother moved over to her and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder cautiously. Hitoka didn't flinch away.

"I owe it to you - to us. This is a journey you have to take on your own, without me getting in the way. Good luck, Hitoka." 

With a small smile, she turned away and left, leaving Hitoka stunned once again. She really didn't know what to think anymore. 

Her father was...alive?

Night fell quickly after, and Hitoka concluded that she should probably read the information booklet. If there was one thing she could do right now, it was prepare. The first page contained the itinerary of the New Avatar Celebration:

_ 10:00 - Welcome Speech (President Sato) _

_ 10:30 - Opening act: The Dragon Dance  _

_ 11:00 - Water _

_ 11:15 - Earth _

_ 11:30 - Fire _

_ 11:45 - Air _

_ 12:00 - Avatar Speech (New Avatar) _

Hitoka had almost forgotten about the speech. She vaguely remembered President Sato mentioning it but she was so blindsided by the news that she hadn't processed half of what the man had said. Hitoka had always dreaded public speaking. She remembered how her stomach had churned when she had to deliver a presentation to her class at school. That had been a small class of twenty students. The capacity of the Main Square was fifty thousand. Hitoka felt her stomach twist, the same way it had during that class presentation, but this time it was ten times worse. She quickly suppressed her nerves and pinpointed her focus on just writing something. Two minutes long - that was all she needed.

_ Greetings, citizens of Republic City and beyond. My name is Yachi Hitoka and I am the Avatar.  _

Hitoka stared at the last words she had written as they echoed in her brain.

_ I am the Avatar. _

She carried on writing and when she was about halfway through, Hitoka's phone buzzed. Assuming it was a text, she left it alone, but the vibrating persisted. She glanced at the screen to see her best friend's name and frowned, puzzled. It wasn't like Shouyou to just call out of the blue, so Hitoka worried something bad had happened. When she answered the phone and heard the voice on the other end, she realised that she was right.

"Hi. Is this Hitoka?" The blonde froze. The voice was deep, indicating an adult male, and was unfamiliar to Hitoka. Her blood turned cold and her heartbeat quickened.

"Y-Yes. Who are you? What happened to Shouyou? Is he ok?" The thumping in her heart rose.

"Ah, sorry, I should have introduced myself first. I’m an officer from the Republic City Police Force. There’s been an... _ incident _ ...in your friend’s apartment and he’s so shaken up he won’t speak or move from the bathroom floor. His phone was unlocked and you were his most recent call…”

Hitoka didn’t hear the rest; the words had faded into the background as the blonde’s instinct kicked in and she found herself bolting towards the firebender’s apartment. The adrenaline coursed through her veins and overcame her exhaustion while she sprinted through the city, sweat beading on her forehead. An excruciating ten minutes later, she was in front of the Hinatas’ door, panting and coughing and on the verge of collapsing (she seriously needed some physical exercise). Shaking with anxiety, she pushed open the unlocked door of the apartment.

What she saw caused her to almost pass out.

A line of police tape surrounded a body - a cold, unmoving body.

The body of Shouyou's mother.


	6. Oceans and Cliffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a nightmare. 
> 
> No, really, this was all some long, agonising nightmare that fed off Hitoka's insecurities and at the worst moment, when she was right on the edge of the cliff, about to fall, she would wake up.
> 
> Right now, seeing the body of Hinata-san splayed on the living room floor, realising Natsu was nowhere to be found and finding Shouyou in such a terrible state, Hitoka decided that this was the worst moment. She was on the edge of the cliff, about to fall…
> 
> So why hadn't she woken up yet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of mild violence

The Northern Water Tribe was a thriving nation ruled by a powerful chiefdom. Unlike the Southern Tribe, the Northern Tribe had proven its resilience during the hundred year war, never succumbing to Fire Nation attacks by enforcing strong defences and cutting off from the rest of the world. After the end of the war, the tribe finally brought down their wall of ice, allowing them to reconnect with their sister tribe, and the other nations. Soon after, the United Republic started to form, and both Water Tribes were quick to contribute. 

With the help of representatives from all over the world, the United Republic, especially its capital, Republic City, progressed rapidly. New technology and new medicine resulted in a massive Industrial Revolution over just a few decades. The world had completely changed, and most people believed it was for the better.

The water tribes, however, did not.

Over time, scientists began to notice changes in the global temperature. It was increasing incredibly gradually, practically insignificant for most of the world, but created a huge impact on the water tribes. Slowly but surely, the ice was melting. The effects of this were strongest at the poles, but were so miniscule for the other nations that they refused to look into the situation further.

Eventually, the Water Tribes gave up fighting and the tension surrounding the issue gradually fizzled out. Soon after, however, the Chief of the Northern Tribe was overthrown by a corrupt, hate-driven man. This man vowed to destroy the United Republic, which he believed to be the centre of the world’s problems, but before he could proceed with his plans, he was defeated by the Air Avatar, who also perished in the fight. The Chief had left the throne to his only child, but the boy had been too young to take over the throne at the time, so the Tribe was managed by the Council until the boy became old enough to rule. 

Shortly after the Chief's death, the Northern Water Tribe once again cut off all contact with the rest of the world, reverting back to the state it had been in during the hundred year war.

Right now, no one knows what goes on in the North Pole.

___________________

"This is mad. You've gone too far this time, Chief," the man insisted, his voice stern.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Advisor," the Chief replied, sitting sideways on his icy throne, with one leg thrown over the throne's right arm, "it's going to work. You'll see." 

The other man opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by the arrival of two boys wearing navy blue parkas. One had hair that stuck up straight, resembling a turnip, and the other looked as though he had not slept in days. They both stood at the entrance of the throne room, awaiting instructions from their leader. 

"Was it successful?" The chief called, voice echoing through the hall of ice.

"Yes, Chief. We just got word that she's inside the ship. The estimated time of arrival is approximately four weeks," the turnip-head answered. The Chief's face lit up and he sat up straight in his throne.

"Good. We'll take it from here. You two are dismissed." He waved a hand to send them away and they retreated from the hall. 

The chief then turned to the rest of the council seated around the middle of the hall. "Looks like our plan is in motion," he announced, "It's been a long day and we have two weeks to prepare. Everyone but my advisor may leave."

He watched as the remaining council members filed out in an orderly fashion, leaving the Chief and his advisor alone. The former resumed his sideways position on the throne, legs over one arm and head tilted back over the other, facing the ceiling. 

"Ugh, this is such hard work," he whined, stretching his arms out, fidgeting in his seat. "And this throne is _so_ uncomfortable."

The Advisor frowned and moved beside the throne of ice. "I suggest you go to bed, Chief Shittykawa, before you come up with any other insane plans."

The Chief gasped in fake surprise. "Iwa-chan! That's so mean!" he cried half-jokingly, "I need an advisor who treats me with respect!"

 _'Well you shouldn't have chosen me then,'_ the advisor thought, but just mumbled a "whatever" and continued to say, "So, how exactly is this going to work, then?"

The Chief lifted his head and smirked with a sinister glint in his eye. "Oh, you'll see," he reiterated, and started to laugh evilly as he rose from his throne.

"Would you quit being so dramatic and just tell me?" The Advisor asked, a scowl forming on his face.

The Chief raised an eyebrow and teased, "Ooh, impatient today, are we?" 

The Advisor huffed in annoyance and his scowl deepened, but he didn't take the bait.

Sighing, the Chief succumbed. "Alright. Walk me to my chambers and I'll explain, as long as you don't give me the silent treatment."

And so, as the first stars appeared in the northern sky, Chief Oikawa Tooru and his Advisor, Iwaizumi Hajime put the first gears of their plan into motion.

__________________

_...Either one will do. Just take the girl!..._

_...Please! Don't hurt her!..._

_...Mum! No!..._

  
  


Shouyou trembled on the floor of the bathroom, hugging his knees to his chest and rocking back and forth, replaying the events over and over in his head. It had all happened so fast and thinking about it more didn't provide any more clarity and just made him feel worse.

He didn't know how much time had passed until he heard muffled voices coming from the apartment hall. They were getting closer, but Shouyou was too in shock to care about whether they were a friend or a foe.

Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open but Shouyou didn't react. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a dark-haired male figure in police clothing. The figure came closer, trying to speak to the terrified firebender, but all Shouyou could make out was 'police force' and 'family', but the rest sounded garbled. He was sinking down deeper into an ocean and the voices faded further and further away. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder. The touch was light and careful, but Shouyou flinched away, as if he had been burned. However, it pulled him back into reality and he heard the man more clearly.

"Hey, it's okay," the policeman spoke softly, kneeling beside the trembling boy, "You're safe now. Is there anyone else in your family we can call?"

 _‘No,’_ Shouyou thought, feeling tears stinging at his eyes, _‘They’re all gone.’_

He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a choked sob, so he resorted to just slowly shaking his head.

The policeman sighed. "Okay, but I'm going to have to call someone. What about your friends? Should I call one of them?" 

Shouyou took a few seconds to process the request, then fixed his eyes onto the phone on the bathroom floor. It was unlocked and there were earphones attached to it. The dark-haired man followed the firebender's gaze and slowly picked up the device, then opened the 'phone' app and scrolled through the call history.

"Ah, looks like the last person you talked to is called Hitoka," he stated, holding the phone up to Shouyou's face. "Do you want to talk to her?" 

Of course he wanted to. He _needed_ to. But at this moment, he couldn't utter a single word. 

"Do you want _me_ to talk to her?" The policeman suggested, his voice calm like the ocean. Shouyou looked up at him with hopeful eyes and gave a small nod. The man sighed in relief as he stood back up and turned to leave the bathroom.

"Just wait here," he said from the doorway, "I won't take too long."

Thus, Shouyou waited.

The next ten minutes felt like hours. They were gone. Everyone was gone. Shouyou was alone. 

And it was all his fault.

___________________

This was a nightmare. 

No, really, this was all some long, agonising nightmare that fed off Hitoka's insecurities and at the worst moment, when she was right on the edge of the cliff, about to fall, she would wake up.

Right now, seeing the body of Hinata-san splayed on the living room floor, realising Natsu was nowhere to be found and finding Shouyou in such a terrible state, Hitoka decided that this was the worst moment. She was on the edge of the cliff, about to fall…

So why hadn't she woken up yet?

  
  


Hitoka raced to the bathroom, ignoring the two policemen pacing around the apartment. On opening the door, she saw an officer knelt down, facing away from her, speaking to her best friend in a hushed, reassuring voice. Alerted by the blonde’s arrival, the policeman rose and stepped aside, revealing the terrified firebender.

Hitoka had never seen Shouyou so frightened in her life. Normally, his optimistic energy filled the room and his eyes would blaze with determination. But now, his diminished enthusiasm and the empty look in his eyes created a dark void in the room, and in Hitoka's heart. 

"Shouyou?" Although she spoke softly, the firebender jumped and snapped his head up, but once he realised whose voice it was, he relaxed and tears spilled down his cheeks.

"Hi-Hitoka?" His voice cracked.

Hitoka rushed to the firebender's side and consoled him.

"I'm here, Shouyou."

He trembled as she wiped the tears from his face. "Hitoka...Natsu, Mum…"

"I know. It's going to be okay," she said, "but first, you need to get off the floor."

After a few seconds, Shouyou nodded, too drained to resist. Supported by Hitoka, he carefully stood up and followed her to his room. Hitoka made sure to obscure his view of the living room as they crossed the corridor, shuddering at the fresh memory herself. 

“So," Hitoka began when the two were seated on the bottom bunk - on _Natsu's_ bunk, "Can you tell me what happened?" She put an arm around Shouyou's shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. He tensed at first but allowed himself to fall into her embrace.

"I-I was..." he began, voice faltering. Hitoka placed a hand in his and he breathed deeply, regaining his composure.

"I was in the bathroom, listening to m-music with my earphones in and…and so I didn't hear anyone come in but…" he let out a choked sob and Hitoka rubbed his back soothingly.

"I heard a loud noise so I took my earphones out and opened the door a little, to check it out. And I saw…" he stopped once more, voice faltering.

"I saw two guys, holding Natsu," he continued, "She was kicking and screaming and trying to firebend and then mum…she came out of her room to stop them. I was about to go and help but then they...they…" His eyes began to water.

"Shh, it's okay, Shouyou," Hitoka whispered.

"No it's not!" He shouted, jumping from the bed, "It's not okay! They took Natsu and I let them! They killed mum and I just _let them_! All I did was watch!" He sat back down and sobbed loudly into Hitoka's shoulder. She remained silent, clenching her jaw to keep her own tears from falling.

"They're gone...and it's all my fault. Because I was a c-coward."

"Hey," Hitoka said firmly, forcing the firebender to look her in the eye, "there was nothing you could have done. If you had tried to do something, they could have taken you too!"

Shouyou sniffed, but didn't reply.

"Listen to me, Shouyou," she continued, "We're going to find Natsu and bring her home. But first, you need to tell the police everything you saw. Can you do that?"

After a few moments, he gave her a nod, and Hitoka returned it with a small smile. At that moment, Sawamura entered the room, offering them a ride to the police station while the two other officers (Nishinoya and Tanaka, Sawamura had said) finished securing the apartment. Hitoka agreed, taking Shouyou’s hand and leading them past the living room as swiftly as possible, the image of the body burned into her mind.

_________________

The waiting room of the police station was...unsettling, mainly due to the fact that it was quite late in the night and there were fewer staff members than usual. There was also the fact that Hitoka had never been inside a police station before. Fortunately, though, the waiting room wasn't much different from the waiting room at a hospital (which the accident-prone blonde had visited _many_ times), but the current situation gave her a lot more anxiety than waiting to get a particularly nasty cut bandaged.

Hitoka distracted herself by looking at the white walls of the room; they were all plain save for the one opposite her, which contained framed photos of the Chiefs of Police that dated back to when the police force was founded. The first photo was of the founder herself, Toph Beifong, whose statue Hitoka had noticed by the entrance, followed by her daughter, Lin Beifong, then Saikhan and the rest of Chiefs up until the current one, who appeared to be a man named-

"Ukai Keishin."

Hitoka jumped from her seat, caught by surprise. She had been so focused on distracting herself that she hadn't noticed the arrival of the current Chief of Police, who was a man with spiky blond hair and several ear piercings. He wore a stoic expression on his face, which Hitoka found was a common recurrence of the police chiefs.

His sudden introduction startled Hitoka, leaving her speechless for a few moments, so the man continued.

"You must be Yachi Hitoka." The blonde gave a small nod and opened her mouth to ask about Shouyou, when Ukai cut her off, reading her mind.

"Your friend is fine. He is currently being questioned by Officer Sawamura in room three," he explained coolly.

Hitoka frowned in confusion. Did that mean he was a-

"He isn't a suspect, if that's what you were wondering," Ukai continued, reading her thoughts once again, "just a witness." 

Hitoka released a breath that she hadn't realised she had been holding. She then began to ask, "So, when will-“ 

Suddenly, the front door burst open, announcing the arrival of two young policemen, who Hitoka recognised from the apartment. They were so absorbed in their own conversation that they hadn't noticed her or Chief Ukai.

"Who knew we’d get a murder _and_ a kidnapping on our first case?” The shorter one exclaimed.

“I know, right?” the other said, “But I’m pretty sure Chief thought that when that woman reported ‘ _suspicious activity_ ’ it would just be some shady dude that-”

“E _-hem.”_

The two immediately stiffened at the sound of Ukai clearing his throat.

“I suggest you two keep your mouths shut,” he ordered sternly, gesturing his head towards Hitoka, “and go make yourselves useful...unless you want this case to be your last.” He narrowed his eyes at them and glared threateningly. When they caught sight of Hitoka, their eyes widened and they stammered out numerous apologies.

“I-It’s okay,” she whispered as they hurried off to their respective duties.

“As I was _saying,_ ” Ukai continued, the undertone of his voice indicating frustration, “I believe this was not a random kidnapping.”

Hitoka frowned, but allowed the man to continue.

“Let’s continue this in my office,” he suggested, eyes instinctively darting around the room, though it was empty. “Follow me.”

So she did, looking back and forth between the white walls of the corridor as she passed by various questioning rooms. They were all identical, with large rectangular windows and all were empty, except for…

_Room three._

Hitoka came to a sudden halt at the window of the third room along the corridor. She turned to see Sawamura on the side of the table closest to her, and on the opposite side was Shouyou.

His mouth was moving and she couldn’t hear him, but she guessed he was telling the officer what he had witnessed. His eyes were fixed on the table, so he hadn’t noticed the blonde, and even from that distance, Hitoka could see the dark circles under them. She felt a slight ache in her heart as she wondered if those eyes would ever regain their fire.

“Are you alright?” Ukai asked, stopping a few feet in front of Hitoka. 

“Yes, sorry,” she replied, blinking to pull herself out of her daze, and continued to follow the man.

As soon as Hitoka had settled into the chair opposite Ukai’s desk, her stomach let out a pained growl. Her face turned red in embarrassment, but the Police Chief wasn’t fazed.

“When was the last time you ate?” He asked with a calm tone.

"Um...a while ago," she said sheepishly. In all the chaos, Hitoka had forgotten that her stomach was completely empty and it suddenly flared up in pain. She grimaced at the discomfort, which Ukai must have noticed as he then dialled a number into the office phone and held it up to his ear.

"Yes, Tanaka? Tell Nishinoya to get a hot meal in my office. Right now," he said sharply, then hung up the phone.

Ukai then turned to his computer and Hitoka moved her eyes around the office. It was much like the headmaster's office at school, but didn't have windows, so it felt more suffocating. There was a stack of papers on the desk but surprisingly, no photos of family. Hitoka wondered how he would even have time for family with such a demanding job. Once the Police Chief had logged on, he turned his attention back onto Hitoka, as if profiling her. Then, his eyes narrowed at a point on her left cheek.

"How did you get that bruise?" He asked, more suspicious than concerned.

Hitoka instinctively put a hand up to her face and blushed, remembering her unfortunate accident from Friday. 

"Oh. I, uh...fell," she muttered. It sounded like a lie. She sensed Ukai thought this too as he gave her a look of disbelief.

"Right…" he replied skeptically.

Hitoka tensed, feeling interrogated. It was that kind of feeling you'd get at airport security even if you hadn't done anything wrong. 

She hurriedly attempted to change the subject by starting to say, "So, about what you were saying before-"

The door burst open and cut her off mid-sentence. Hitoka didn't turn to see who it was but the smell of mashed potatoes and sausages wafting through the air indicated that the officer - Nishinoya, she remembered - had arrived with her meal. She was grateful for the food but the constant interruptions were starting to annoy her. She wasn't an impatient person by nature, but her intense hunger and lack of sleep had made her quite irritable. 

"Nishinoya!" Ukai exclaimed, mirroring Hitoka's impatience, "Do you need someone to teach you how to knock?"

"Sorry, sir!" he said strongly, placing the meal along with a glass of water in front of Hitoka. She murmured a quiet 'thanks' as Nishinoya hurried out of the office.

The door hadn't even closed fully when Hitoka greedily began to dig into the mashed potatoes in the meal box. It was bland and reminded her of the meals that they served in aeroplanes, but she was too hungry to care.

"Right," Ukai began, causing Hitoka to pause her chewing, "I think the kidnapping is to do with you being the Avatar."

Suddenly, out of shock, Hitoka began to cough violently, having choked on a piece of food. Her face turned red and she would have felt incredible embarrassment if she wasn't literally dying at the moment. Ukai coolly pushed her glass of water closer to her and waited for her to recover as she gulped down half the cup.

Once the coughing fit had died down and she had processed his statement, she asked out of curiosity, "How did you know?"

"That you were the Avatar? Although usually just the leader of the Avatar's Nation knows before the festival, in the United Republic, they tell the Chief of Police too for security measures. It seemed to have been a smart decision based on the recent incident."

Before Hitoka could reply, Ukai turned the monitor towards her and she saw words appearing on the screen. 

"This is the transcript of the conversation currently taking place in Room 3," he continued, "it converts what's being said in the room into text, to make it easier to refer to as evidence," he added, though Hitoka already knew what he meant.

Ukai then scrolled up to earlier in the conversation and stopped when he reached Shouyou's description of the murder. In the large block of text, Hitoka picked out a few phrases that made her blood turn cold.

_'They were wearing dark blue suits'_

_'One had Natsu while the other one…'_

_'He did something to her that made her body stiff'_

_'She lost control of her limbs'_

_'Then she st-stabbed herself'_

It didn't take long for her to fit the pieces together, and when she came to the realisation, the words on the monitor contorted into something illegible. She suddenly felt lightheaded as the voice in her head repeatedly screamed out a single word…

_Bloodbending_.

_"Yachi-san?"_ A voice in the background called, but Hitoka had tuned it out.

The signs all pointed to one place. The bloodbending - they were waterbenders. The dark blue suits - they were from the Water Tribes.

_The Northern Water Tribe._

"Yachi-san!" 

The voice was louder this time, causing Hitoka's head to snap up. She blinked twice, taking in the scene in front of her.

Ukai had stood up from his chair, with his hands raised and in a defensive stance. Hitoka turned her gaze to the desk and saw the cup on its side. She followed the trail of water from the glass across the desk to where it dripped onto the floor on Ukai's side. 

"I'm sorry! I didn't notice!" Hitoka quickly stammered, falling into a bow.

Ukai stayed unmoving, with his eyes widened. It was the first time he had shown any kind of expression on his face other than a scowl.

"You...You didn't touch it," he said softly. 

Hitoka slowly straightened, confused, and it took a few moments until her confusion turned to shock as she realised what she had done. 

“I...waterbended?”

___________________________  
  


“Thank you for everything, sir.”

With a quick bow, Hitoka left the police station with Shouyou. Ukai had offered the two accomodation for the night, but Hitoka had assured that the two would stay at her house for as long as they needed. Ukai agreed but insisted they be escorted home by Sawamura, who also offered to pick up some of Shouyou’s things from his apartment and drop them off to Hitoka’s house in the morning. The blonde wondered if the special treatment was due to the fact that they were minors, or that she was the Avatar. She concluded that it was probably a combination of both. 

“Oh my god. I just realised something,” Shouyou said in the backseat of the car, eyes wide.

“What is it?” Hitoka asked, voice tainted with worry.

“What are we gonna do about Kageyama and Yamaguchi?” 

She still hadn't texted him. She also still hadn't told her best friend of her newfound identity, but there was a time and place for everything. She hadn't found a suitable occasion yet, and the back of a police car didn't seem like one either.

Ukai had told her to go through with the celebration, then meet with him and the president afterwards to discuss the course of action to take. Hitoka had agreed, albeit reluctantly as she wanted to find Natsu as soon as possible. She now had a duty to the entire world, not just one family. The thought wasn't pleasant.

But still, she had to let Yamaguchi know soon, so she pulled out her phone to text him, pausing briefly when she saw the time - 00:23. Hoping that the airbender stayed up late on weekends, Hitoka sent him a brief text:

_Hey, really sorry I didn't message sooner, but we need to talk. Can you meet me at the fountain at 9am?_

She then told Shouyou to do the same with Kageyama.

A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the Yachi residence exhausted and drained. The house had three bedrooms, but neither one wanted to be alone, so they opted to share the master bed. Hitoka managed to convince the firebender to shower and gave him some spare clothes for the night. Although the two had heavy bags under their eyes, neither could sleep and spent some time tossing and turning.

A couple of hours passed and Hitoka had reached her limit; thoughts of her identity, her family, Natsu, Hinata-san's body and _the blood_ plagued her mind to the point where her whole body was sweating despite the fan in the room. She turned to face Shouyou, who seemed to be in the same situation, so she sat up and switched on the bedside lamp.

When the light fell onto Shouyou's face, his eyes immediately shot open. They were red and puffy and tear tracks painted his cheeks. 

"Shouyou…" Hitoka began with concern.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" He said, as he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Not a chance. Has Kageyama replied?" She asked, hoping to divert their minds elsewhere. 

"No," he whispered after checking his phone, "I'm pretty sure he mentioned sleeping early and getting up early in the morning to train."

Hitoka angled her body to face the firebender and crossed her legs.

"Tell me about him."

"Well," Shouyou began, mirroring her position, "he's tall, kind of mysterious and loves reading. He also loves earthbending, and when I told him I was a firebender, he asked if I wanted to duel him. Turns out he has a training ground in his garden, so we went to his house. And...oh! He got along really well with...Natsu." His face fell at the memory. Hitoka opened her mouth to say something, but Shouyou shook his head and changed the subject.

"What happened that day?" He asked, earning a look of confusion from the blonde. "The fight with your mum," he clarified.

Hitoka took a deep breath in. She had to tell him. She couldn't put it off any longer.

"It started when I came home on Friday night."

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic!


End file.
